Spirituality and Healing

Spirituality and Healing

The use of
prayer
and other spiritual practices to improve health dates back thousands of years. The incorporation of spirituality into ancient medicine seems not to be simply because of the lack of diagnostic and therapeutic tools available during those times, but also because spirituality provided a way for doctors to approach care for fellow humans.

The philosopher Maimonides wrote, "May I never see in the patient anything but a fellow creature in pain."

The sentiment of this statement points to the need for humility in medicine and the willingness for doctors to be equal to those they are treating. This results in the idea of medicine as a partnership, which is an ancient concept that is gaining new recognition, respect, and understanding. The acknowledgment of the influence of spirituality on healing and on the healer may help restore a balance and sense of humanity where it may be lacking in the modern practice of medicine.

What Is Mind-body Medicine?

The concept of prayer and spirituality seems, in some ways, to be at the crux of mind-body medicine and how thoughts and energy may influence health and healing. Many different types of practices may help a person develop a spiritual connectedness and a balance of energy; some examples include prayer,
meditation, journaling,
yoga, and tai chi, among others.

What all these practices seem to have in common is that they allow a person to achieve some degree of internal clarity and emotional balance with each session. The most profound effects may occur as these techniques become part of a daily routine.

Prayer and other practices may be done alone or with a group or in a community. In a communal setting, prayer may help lessen feelings of isolation and strengthen feelings of connection and belonging as well as improve one's sense of personal identity and self-esteem.

What Are Prayer, Religion, and Spirituality?

Spirituality and religion are not necessarily the same thing. Religion is thought to be a belief in and deference to a God or other higher being. Prayer can be thought of as an act of profound awe, respect, even love for this higher being and generally takes the form of either confession, praise, or thanksgiving.

Spirituality is described as neither tangible nor material, with the spirit representing the essential nature of a person. Spirituality is thought to pertain to the ultimate meaning and purpose of life. There may be a heightened awareness of and concern for such matters when a person is ill or facing death.

Prayer is often used in a religious context to connect to one's own spirit, to spiritual affairs, and to God or another supernatural being. But it is important to point out that prayer can be practiced outside of a religious context. The connection to one's spirit and to God may occur through processes other than prayer, such as those mentioned above, like meditation, yoga, tai chi, and journal writing.

How Might Spirituality and Prayer Help?

There are differing theories on how spirituality can enhance health. First, spiritual practices, including prayer, may give a person a sense of empowerment or control. That is, the person in need of healing is actively getting involved in his or her own care. In fact, even if prayer has no direct impact on the outcome of the specific medical problem, it may bring a sense of comfort that, for overall wholeness and well-being, is important.

For example, some women undergoing treatment for
infertility
use a ritual such as prayer on the day of a scheduled procedure. While such a process does not increase the likelihood of becoming pregnant, it allows the women to feel subjectively better as they go through the process of trying to become pregnant.

Secondly, spiritual practices may make a person feel more at ease when facing death or other difficult circumstances. Prayer may help them face uncertainty and the possibility of death by helping them accept whatever might happen.

Two other possible explanations for the healing effect of spirituality include the
placebo effect
and the
relaxation response. In this context, the placebo effect refers to the person's belief that prayer will help him or her—just that belief may stimulate healing.

Prayer and other spiritual practices, such as those mentioned above, can elicit the relaxation response, which refers to a process in the body that reduces levels of circulating stress hormones. In turn, the heart rate is slowed, blood pressure is lowered, and immune function may even be improved.

Other studies have found apparent benefits with distance healing, which occurs when people pray for hospitalized patients. However, these studies have been criticized for errors in design. Spirituality, however, may not be amenable to strict evidence-base criteria.

Spirituality is an important aspect of end-of-life care. Studies indicate that the majority of patients would like their spiritual issues addressed. The hospice movement has been developed based on the model of care in which spiritual dimension is important in the care of patients.

How Might Spirituality and Prayer Hurt?

There are instances, however, when inappropriate or unskillful incorporation of spirituality into healthcare can have negative effects. For example, some people with serious illnesses, such as cancer in particular, may feel that their prayers were not heard or that they did something wrong through their individual process of praying if there were negative outcomes.

For some people, the very thought or idea of prayer, religion, or spirituality brings up feelings of self-doubt, self-judgment, fear, or concern.

Therefore, you should only use spiritual practices to gain comfort or insight if this is a fitting and appropriate approach for you as an individual. It is important to remember that there is no right or wrong way to do any of these practices. It may, though, be a matter of finding a particular practice that fits and works best for you.

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.